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01/31/2012 10:54 AM

Aerials show extent of tornado, flooding damage

By: Burton Fitzsimmons


To view pictures of the tornado damage check out the gallery above:

Aerials show extent of tornado, flooding damage
The tornado which tore through a Northeast Austin neighborhood Jan. 25 has been rated an EF-1 with maximum winds near 100 mph.

A National Weather Service storm survey team said the tornado traveled 1.14 miles and created a path of damage 50 yards wide.

Doppler radar indicates the tornado touched down at 2:58 a.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Commercial Park Drive and Old Manor Road. It moved north through an industrial park before crossing U.S. Highway 290 and entering Walnut Place subdivision.

Aerials show extent of tornado, flooding damage
The tornado’s path ended west of the intersection of Ferguson Lane and Sansom Road, where the tornado lifted around 3:05 a.m.

No one was injured during the storm but building in the area did suffer major damage. The storm lifted the roof off a home on Happy Trail, and a commercial building operated by local business Aztec Marking was leveled.

Official damage estimates for the 290 and Springdale area total $1.65 million. Pieces of debris were scattered as far away as 200 yards.

Click here to view the full report from the National Weather Service.

To view pictures of the flooding check out the gallery below:

EVENT: AUSTIN TORNADO...NEAR SPRINGDALE AND HIGHWAY 290
EVENT DATE: JANUARY 25 2012
EVENT RATING: EF1 WITH MAX WINDS NEAR 100 MPH
INJURIES/FATALITIES: 0
EVENT START TIME/LOCATION COORDINATES:30.3221/-97.6536 AT 258 AM
EVENT END TIME/LOCATION COORDINATES: 33.3381/-97.6551 AT 305 AM
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 1.14 MILES
DAMAGE PATH WIDTH (IN YARDS): 50 YARDS

THE TORNADO PATH BEGAN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF COMMERCIAL PARK
DRIVE AND OLD MANOR ROAD...WITH RADAR INDICATING A TOUCHDOWN TIME
NEAR 2:58 AM. DAMAGE CONTINUED NORTH THROUGH AN INDUSTRIAL
PARK WHERE A BUSINESS WAS DESTROYED AND SEVERAL OTHERS HAD ROOF
DAMAGE. THE TORNADO THEN CROSSED U.S. 290...BEFORE ENTERING THE
WALNUT PLACE SUBDIVISION. FURTHER DAMAGE TO TREES AND HOMES OCCURRED
ALONG SPRINGDALE AND HAPPY TRAIL. ONE HOME ON HAPPY TRAIL HAD
MOST OF ITS ROOF LIFTED OFF. DEBRIS WAS NOTED IN A LARGE FIELD
JUST SOUTH OF FERGUSON LANE...WITH THE TORNADO PATH ENDING JUST
WEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF FERGUSON LANE AND SANSOM ROAD.
THE NWS ALSO INVESTIGATED THE DAMAGE TO SEVERAL BUSINESSES AND
WAREHOUSE BUILDINGS NEAR THE PFLUGERVILLE ISD BUS BARN. THIS IS
NEAR CRYSTAL BEND DRIVE AND IMMANUEL ROAD IN PFLUGERVILLE. IT WAS
CONCLUDED THAT THIS DAMAGE WAS DUE TO STRONG STRAIGHT LINE
THUNDERSTORM WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.